USDA Drops Plan to Limit Salmonella in Chicken Amid Industry Pushback

The USDA has quietly dropped a proposal to limit salmonella levels in poultry, a move originally designed to prevent over a million annual infections in the U.S. As reported by Rolling Stone’s Charisma Madarang, the Biden-era plan would have required poultry companies to monitor and limit six dangerous strains of salmonella. If levels exceeded the set threshold, products would be pulled from shelves.

The plan aimed to reduce foodborne illness by at least 25%, according to the Federal Register. But the USDA said it received over 7,000 comments from stakeholders, including meat industry lobbyists and poultry processors, and has now withdrawn the plan to “further assess” its approach. This reversal follows pressure from the National Chicken Council, which includes board members from Pilgrim’s Pride — the same company that donated $5 million to Trump’s inaugural committee and recently paid $100 million in an antitrust settlement for underpaying chicken farmers.

Salmonella infections still affect around 1.35 million Americans each year, a number that hasn’t budged in decades. Yet officials cited concerns that the rules would be too burdensome for smaller producers. Meanwhile, food safety advocates argue that public health should not be sidelined for industry convenience.

Animal welfare and public health often go hand in hand. Industrial poultry farming not only harms millions of birds but continues to expose people to preventable illness. The system is broken — and the latest USDA decision is yet another reminder.

If you care about your health, the environment, and Animal rights, now’s the time to opt out of industrial meat. Choose plant-based. Support ethical, transparent food systems, only eat plant-based. And don’t let politics decide what ends up on your plate — or in your bloodstream.

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